Familial Ties
by monkeygirl77
Summary: Families come in all shapes and sizes. In this case it comes in the form of four 3500 year old mummies and a 12 year old reincarnated prince. Before the Rapses Exhibit came, he had only had his mom as his family and a dad who rather be anywhere then with him, but now he's found himself a part of a new one and they're not going anywhere.
1. Chapter 1

**on me! I just got into this fandom and am just beginning to dip my toes in the water, I probably don't have the characterizations right so I'm sorry ahead of time! I still hope you enjoy it anyway!**

**…**

"He's been here since he got out of school." The two of them stood just a bit away from the boy in question, watching him as he sat quietly on the stone bench reading a book that needed read for English class, "And it's well after dark now." The taller of the two nodded in agreement, and the other continued uninterrupted "Not that I don't like spending time with him, but shouldn't he be at home?" they looked up at their companion, "Won't his mom worry that he's not there?"

"I must agree." He curled his fingers around his chin, "This has been a frequent occurance for the duration of the previous week."

He nodded to his friend and stepped away from her side, Nefertina watched for a moment as their leader approached the young reincarnated prince, before turning to work on her pride and joy; the Hot-Ra.

Presley was engrossed in his book, which was a rare occurrence in itself, they didn't usually read books in English class that he found to be so interesting. He quickly finished the page he was on and moved over to the next, captivated by the story that was unfolding before his very eyes, and couldn't stop himself from jumping when a hand settled on his head. He marked the page he was on, bending the corner of the page down, and closed it with a soft thud to look up at the one that wanted his attention.

"Oh," he set the book down in his lap, "Hey Ja-kal."

The mummy smiled at the boy, "Hello, Presley." He would normally refer to him as his old name, of his title, but the boy was adamant on them calling him by his current name, and though sometimes they slipped, they were sure to abide by their princes wishes. "Shouldn't you be at home, is it not a school night?"

"Yea, probably, do you want me to go?" he reached for his school bag, "Because I can go if you want me to."

The elder was quick to reassure, waving a hand at him, "No, no, we enjoy having you with us dearly, but wouldn't your mom worry if she were to find you gone?"

"Oh." He blinked at the way the boy's tone changed, something hard had taken over his usually lightened tone of voice, and Presley shook his head in one harsh shake. "No. She's not even home." Presley forcefully jammed his book in his backpack and pulled his legs up under him, he moved his bag when the mummy made to sit down next to him.

"She is not home?"

"No," the boy picked at the laces in his sneakers, "She's working late tonight."

The falcon avatar nodded in acknowledgement to his words, "Does this happen often?"

"Most nights. I don't mind being home alone. I know you guys are standing guard at night." He looked up at his older friend, "I just get lonely sometimes, you know, and you guys don't mind me being around here."

"You are always welcome here."

The reincarnated prince smiled up at his guardian, "Thanks Ja-kal, that means a lot, I like being here."

He smiled, "I am glad." The mummy squeezed his shoulder lightly, "And your father?" Presley looked up at him as if waiting for him to ask the true question on his mind "Does he come around often?" Ja-kal knew of course that the man didn't stay with his son, as fathers should, it angered him to some degree. He had been away from his own for his duty to the Pharaoh and his Prince, and for one to not have such obligation to _choose _to be away from their own son was something that he would never understand, something he would never find approval in.

Presley smiled a sad smile, shaking his head for a moment in silence, looking down to his lap, "No, not really. He was never around much when I was growing up. He was always away treasure hunting," he snorted a self-depreciating snort, "or stealing, I should say, I guess I should have known."

The boy took a deep breath, "him and mom got divorced when I was four. They still love each other but the distance broke the relationship, I guess. Mom doesn't like talking about it. That's why my dad lives in Memphis."

His guardian tilted his head in confusion, "Divorced?"

Presley looked up at him, comprehension taking over his features, of course, he couldn't hope that Ja-kal would know what that was, and it made him wonder, in return to his friends on curiosity, if Egyptians could divorce too "Right, you wouldn't know what that is, I think.." he shook his head, "It's when two people who are married fall out of love or when they don't get along anymore or just don't want to married anymore, they get divorced. They separate from each other."

"Why would anyone want to do such a thing if they are in love." His prince shrugged, his elbow digging slightly into his side, but he paid it no mind, "I don't know. I do know that mom and dad still love each other. They just thought it would be better that way, I think, I don't know why they did it. Like I said, mom doesn't like talking about it."

He set one of his legs down, leaning unconsciously against the mummy next to him, not noticing that the mummy he unconsciously leaned against lifted his left his arm for him to find comfort and laid it over the stone backing of their seat.

"Sometimes I feel like they care more about their jobs then they do me, I mean, they're never really home. Dad's always somewhere, I don't know where, and mom works long nights."

"That is why you have been spending most of your nights here with us."

He nodded, "You guys are always here." He looked up at the tall mummy "You guys never get upset with me being around; whether your in the middle of something or not."

"That is true. We rather enjoy having you around here with us, you are not just our pharaoh, but our friend."

The boy looked up at him, "Thanks Ja-kal. You guys are my friends too."

They fell into companionable silence for a moment, "What time should your mom be going home?"

"I don't know," he looked up to his older friend, "Why? Trying to get rid of me, old man?"

Ja-kal shot the boy a look, squeezing his shoulder fondly, "Hardly. I merely don't want you to get into any more trouble."

"Get into trouble?" Presley smiled in good humor, "That's not me."

"Of course not."

His prince shook his head though, looking back down to his bag at his feet, "I don't know when mom will be done. There's a new exhibit coming in next week from London and she has to make all these preparations and fill out all this paperwork. She just said she'd be home late." He frowned slightly, "Don't worry, she'll be too tired to check on me when she does get home, she probably won't even know that I'm not there." He sighed against the mummy's side "But I'll have to be there in the morning. She'll notice that I'm not in bed when she comes to wake me up for school."

The falcon avatar nodded silently, thinking over his prince's words, it did not sound pleasant to be alone for that long. Presley sighed again, looking back down to his lap, picking at the sock of his right foot that was within reach for him without leaning too far away from the mummies side. For being mummies, they were all rather warm to the touch, he liked the warmth that his companion offered freely. It made him feel safe, in a silent and un-violent way, no fighting involved, no worries about his soul being taken, just silent close comfort.

"Can I stay here?"

Ja-kal was pulled from his own thoughts at his prince's soft request, looking down to the boy, he nodded in confirmation. "Of course. You know where the bed is. You can rest here, and we will make sure you get home in the morning before your mom comes to get you up for school."

"Thanks, Ja-kal."

"Always Presley. You've got a home here with us if you were to ever need one. Never doubt that fact."

Presley smiled slightly, they welcomed him in their home without hesitation, into their family. He scuffed his sneaker against the stone flooring.

"Thanks, Ja-kal, that means a lot. You guys are my best friends. Well, Walter is too, but you know what I mean." He snorted lightly, "We're almost like a family."

"We are family and you are just as much a part of it as the others are."

…

**AN: So? How was it? Be nice please! No flames welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for the feedback guys and all the nice things! Who else fell asleep basically anywhere, high or low, when they were younger? I most certainly did!**

**…**

They had been looking for their young prince for nearly an hour to no avail, when Armon had stopped to get a snack from the fridge, perhaps make himself a sandwich, and he smiled to himself at the thought of the tasty treat as he turned the corner where they had placed the large fridge. Something caught his eye, just as his fingers curled around the doors handle, and he looked up to get a clearer view of the object that stuck out against the scenery.

A sneaker was hanging over the front of the freezer.

He raised an eyebrow and poked at it lightly, the sneaker kicked slightly and there was a slight snuffle from above his head and the sneaker went still again as a tan hand fell limply over the edge, undoubtedly from the boy shifting in his apparent sleep.

The mummy shook his head in amusement, leaning around the corner to call to the others "Hey guys! I think I found him!"

He heard the quick paced footsteps of the others, and stepped back to get a better look, Ja-kal and Rath turned the corner just ahead of Nefertina and the three of them fell short at the sight of the sneaker and hand hanging over the edge of the fridge.

"Why," in a very rare occurrence, Rath was flabbergasted, "How on earth did he even get up there?"

Armon spared him a glance "Do you really want to know?"

Their leader shook his head before the snake avatar could respond, "I prefer for that to remain his secret." He stepped forward to tug on the ankle and hand of their young friend and prince until he rolled over the edge towards them. Presley gave a tired yelp as he tumbled into the falcon avatars arms and immediately curled around him to return to his previous deep slumber.

Nefertina smiled at the friends peaceful slumbering, resting his head on the taller mummies shoulder lightly, when he stepped passed her to head back to the main chamber of the sphinx with their prince in tow "You may not, but I want to know, there isn't even any shelving to climb on for him to reach the top."

"That is precisely why I prefer for it to remain a secret."

…

Having to come to the museum this early in the morning didn't sit right with him. It was a Saturday, he should be able to sleep in, just like he did every Saturday, no school meant sleeping in. But there was no use being upset about it, well, too upset about it. He was here, mom was engrossed in her work, and wouldn't notice him slip away and his absence until about lunch time.

Slipping out of the room, curled tightly in his blanket, mom had given him a look but hadn't told him to take it back to his room. She had some sense of empathy at waking a twelve year old up at 6am on a Saturday morning, and thus he was able to bring his warm blanket with him. It wasn't the first time he'd had to come to the museum this early in the morning, and it wouldn't be the last time, but on these occasions he no longer had to go down to the cafeteria and sleep in an uncomfortable hunched over position over top one of the tables.

He now had a place to go.

So he slipped out of the office and down the hall, taking the stairs one at a time in a sleepy state, and took the stairs down into the Sphinx. Using his amulet to open the massive stone door, he stumbled inside still half asleep, he looked around quietly at the deafening silence of the chamber.

"Guys?" he yawned widely, "Anyone home?"

Silence was his only response as he stepped into the main chamber of the Sphinx. The tv was off, and not a sound was heard, so he looked up to the sarcophaguses. They were lucky and got to continue sleeping, unlike him, and he grumbled on that matter under his breath as he stepped up the stairs that led to where his sleeping guardians lie. He could wake them up, like his mom had woken him up, but that would be mean and he wasn't a mean friend.

He could also walk over to the bed, or the stone seat in front of the television, but that would mean going up another set of stairs or turning back down the one he had just climbed and that just wasn't going to work out for his tired twelve year old self.

So, Presley sighed sleepily, and looked down to the long stair he stood on, and shrugged. He shrugged off his backpack, pulling his blanket away slightly to tug it around, and set it down on the stair. Yawning again, he slowly lowered himself on the step, used his backpack as a pillow, wrapped his blanket around himself tightly, and fell back into peaceful sleep.

The four guardians woke sometime later, groaning and stretching as they opened the lids to their sarcophaguses, stepping out into the early morning.

"Is that…?"

Nefertina crept forward, to the mound that lay curled just before their resting place, the others following behind her with the same curiosity. They kneeled in time, and she reached out to pull the corner of the blanket away from the face that it hid underneath it, she smiled at the sight that presented itself to them now that the blanket had been pulled away.

She looked over her shoulder in question, "Is it not too early for him to be here?" stepping to the side as Ja-kal stepped forward to lift the prince up from the stone step, the two of them shared a smile when the boy sighed and turned to lean against the mummy's shoulder, she watched him walk off towards the bed set for the prince when he needed rest "He doesn't come to see us until noon on Saturdays."

Rath watched Ja-kal set him on the bed with gentle ease, "Perhaps his mother has come in to work early and brought the prince with her?"

"We will ask him when he wakes," the falcon avatar joined them once more, "But for now we let him sleep."

…

Ja-kal huffed as he bent to lift the prince up from where he had fallen asleep in the middle of the floor, Armon had nearly stepped on him and it took them some time to calm him down once more and Nefertina had gone with him to make a sandwich.

Rath crossed his arms as he stood with the boy in his arms.

"This is beginning to get quite ridiculous."

"Every young boy needs rest rather more than others."

"You are making excuses." It was a lighthearted remark, an amused smile played at the tutors features, "We all know how fond you are of the boy."

"I am going to put him to bed."

"You are only denying yourself, my friend."

…

"Guys!" Nefertina's voice echoed through the sphinx, bringing the others to a sudden halt in what they were doing to rush over to the chariot driver, she was leaning against the wall of the end of the hall that led to the garage and waved the over to see what she saw. "You have to see this."

She led them over to the Hot-Ra, to the seat in the back, and they leaned over the side to see what she had seen. Presley was curled up in the seat, nearly a perfect ball, his arms curled around the sacred cat's middle. Kahti didn't seem to mind, purring in content to her position against the young prince's chest, looking up at them for a moment as they converged on them, meowed once, and laid back down.

Nefertina turned away from the sight to look at her friends, smiling at the scene they laid witness to, and took note of the smiles that overtook their features in accordance to what they got to see without interruption.

"Isn't this adorable?"

"Don't let him hear you say that," Armon nodded though, "He will say we are 'cramping his style' again."

"Just look at them though!"

Rath nodded, amused at the sight, "I think I shall get them a blanket." And turned away to fetch the aforementioned item.

Armon and Ja-kal stepped in closer to the chariot driver's sides, to get a better glance at the boy and his cat, Kahti watched them with wide eyes as if to keep them from waking her boy. She spent the most time with the boy, and would undoubtedly know his sleeping habits, and from her compliance to the position they got the notion that this was not the first occurrence.

Nefertina looked between her two friends with a smugness overtaking her, "And he says he _doesn't _like cats."

…

**AN: Thanks for all the positivity guys! You're all the best! Hope you like this installment too!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I'm back guys, sorry for the delay! Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback and love! I'm trying to keep them in character, and am probably failing drastically at it, so I appreciate your love despite that! You remember that time your kept a secret from your friends and they found out anyway?**

Left at the bus stop again, watching as his friends drove off in the Hot-Ra, Presley groaned and scuffed his sneaker against the cement curb, "I hate it when they send me home." He huffed and gripped the straps to his backpack. Looking down the street, he took note of his friends and guardians being long since out of side, and he stepped off the curb and crossed the street.

He wasn't expected home anytime soon, mom was out of town on a business trip for the museum, dad was supposed to come stay with him, but he hadn't showed up yet and he didn't want to ruin mom's trip by calling to tell her.

Of course, the reincarnated prince hummed to himself as he walked down the street, he most certainly could have told his guardians of his staying at the house alone, one of them would have been glad to stay with him, or he could go stay with them at the Sphinx and he had a bed there to sleep in and everything.

Where exactly they had gotten the bed was something he didn't know, and there was a part of him that couldn't be bothered to ask either, it was probably the same story as to how they had managed to get a refrigerator.

But he didn't, they were over-protective enough on their part, he didn't need to give them a reason to become even more so.

The city was nearly asleep, some cars still passed him on the street as he walked down the sidewalk, hands gripping the straps of his backpack lightly as he did, and he looked around to see what there was to see of the city at night. The only light was from the street lamps and the full moon above. He walked passed a deep dark alley way, jumping slightly at the sound of rattling from within, and jumped forward as quick as he could to get away from whatever lurked in the dark.

_Meow_

Out of the shadows came the cause of the noise in the dark shadows of the night, in the form of a very familiar companion, the one who often stayed with him through the night when the others weren't able to be there to watch over him through the skylight.

He pressed a hand to his chest as he tried to catch his breath, the feline weaving between his legs happily, purring as she rubbed her head against his lower legs. The boy prince knelt to pet his feline friend on the head, she liked being petted and he wondered why, only her head was uncovered and the rest of her was still wrapped up. He smiled when she nudged his hand, looking pointedly in the direction he had been heading in, and meowed again.

"Kahti!" the boy was happy his feline friend had joined him, "You scared me!"

The sacred cat rubbed against his hand and meowed again.

Smiling to himself, Presley stood and turned, "Come on Kahti." He began walking down the sidewalk once more and knew that the cat would follow him without turning to see if she would for himself, "We're not going home."

The mummified cat meowed in response, following at his side, faithfully protecting him from anything that may jump out at them. He walked through a silent intersection, looking down both streets, a car lit the end of the right end and quickly disappeared down a side street. There was music coming from the inside of a late night diner they walked passed, and he nodded along to the catchy beat as they crossed in front of it, and hummed it to himself when they had passed it completely and the beat began to fade in the background until the street was silent again.

"Do you think Ja-kal's going to be mad?"

Presley looked down to his feline friend, Kahti looked up at him in return, as though she knew that the question was being asked in her direction.

The panther cat meowed.

He sighed, "Yea, that's what I thought too." He hopped down the curb and they ran across the crosswalk when the signal began to blink with the red hand indicating that pedestrians should take caution and hurry through the intersection. "Hopefully they stay out late and don't come to check on me."

Kahti meowed again and he took it as her agreeing with him.

They both stopped at the end of the cement and the beginning of the wooden planks of the great dock that jet out into the bay, the waves gently lapped against the shore of stones, the boy looked down to his companion and sighed, smiling when she turned to look up at him.

"Will you come with me Kahti?" he frowned lightly, "I don't want to go home to an empty house just yet."

The panther cat purred and rubbed her head against his lower leg, causing him to smile again "Thanks girl."

They walked down across the planks, the lamps on the sides of the wooden pier lighting their way, the sounds of the bay below filling the silence with the sound of the sea smashing against the wooden poles that held the pier above the water. They came to the edge sooner then they had though, looking out at the darkened bay over the railing, Kahti sat and bat her paw at his foot as if to tell him to sit down with her.

He laughed softly and nodded, shrugging off his backpack, and sat over the edge. His legs dangled over the edge of the pier and he leaned forward on his crossed arms on the lower portion off the railing. Kahti sat next to him and her purring echoed slightly louder then the waves smacking the poles under them.

"Mom's out of town right now, Kahti." Out of the corner of his eye he saw the cat turn to look at him as though to listen to him speak to her "On a business trip for the museum." He reached out to pet her head and she tilted it to the side, purring loudly, "Dad was supposed to come stay with me, but something came up." He sighed sadly and turned to look at his feline companion "Something _always _comes up."

…

"I feel slightly bad about leaving him at the bus stop like we did."

Nefertina stepped quietly over the side of the roof, holding a hand out for her companion to grab onto in aid of getting up to the roof, Ja-kal's fingers curled around her palm and she pulled him up to stand with her on the roof of their princes house.

"It was for his own good and he knows that." The falcon avatar straightened and turned to look at the chariot driver, "And it is a school night. He should not be out too late."

She didn't seem to agree with his logic personally, but knew that outside of personal feeling, it made sense to send him home because of having school in the morning and he was only a young twelve year old. They shared a silent look and turned around in the direction of the skylight that stood over their princes bedroom.

Ja-kal inhaled deeply, when they came to stand before the windows, and Nefertina stared at the sight (or lack thereof) that stood before them.

She turned her head to look at the falcon guardian, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

He nodded mutely for a moment, "Do you mean what we are _not _seeing?"

The bedroom was empty, there was no twelve year old reincarnated prince sleeping soundly under the covers, getting a good nights rest for a long day of learning the next day. The bed was still made up, not a spot out of place, clearly not having been slept in or on with the indication of the young boy having merely gotten out of bed for a glass of water.

"Won't his mom worry if she comes to check on him?"

Ja-kal hummed, "I don't think that will happen," he turned away from the empty bedroom and pointed down to the empty driveway, "I do believe, however, that our prince has been keeping secrets." She stood in her position and watched him cross over to the edge of the roof, "Let's go alert the others and find our prince."

"Do you think that Rath can track him by his amulet?"

"He has before."

They shared a nod and jumped over the edge of the roof in sync.

…

"Dad did call though, Kahti."

Presley stared out at the bay before them, petting absently at his companions head, the feline purred and he felt her turn her head towards him as he spoke.

"Said he was sorry that he couldn't make it." He shook his head. "He said that something came up." And snorted softly, "I don't know what I expected from him."

He was so caught up in his thoughts, and the seemingly one sided conversation he was having with his cat, that he didn't hear the vehicle pulling up at the other end of the pier or the footsteps as the others came walking up behind them.

They stopped short when they heard his voice though, Kahti looking up at the young master, his fingers stroking absently at her head. Presley was caught in his thoughts, and it dialed down on any lecture they'd come prepared with, listening to the conversation he was having with his small friend.

"I should probably call mom and tell her that he can't come." They exchanged looks and Kahti meowed, "But I don't want to ruin her trip. She loves going on trips for the museum." Nefertina looked between her three male companions, mouthing the question they were all thinking, and the others could only shrug in reply to it, "And I know what you're thinking. I should tell the others. They should know."

Presley kicked lightly, his fingers stilling in their stroking of the sacred cats head long enough that she meowed softly to get it to start once more, "I just don't want them to get tired of me being there, you know?" he shrugged himself, "I mean, I don't think they'd think so, but you never know." He looked down to the panther cat "Because, I mean, they're adults and I'm a kid." Kahti nudged his hand with her head fondly.

It was the sacred cat that noticed them first, her head turning in their direction with a quick snap, Presley didn't seem to notice their being there though as he let up on petting her head and crossed his arm back over the railing.

They each made gestures to keep their presence a secret, and as though she understood their request, the cat turned her head back around silently and purred in content as she laid down next to the young prince beside her.

"Why am I not good enough for him to stay, Kahti?"

Nefertina covered her mouth with her hand to keep from calling out, it wasn't often that Presley spoke about his father, and they didn't know much about him other then what they had seen of him when he had last visited. They didn't think much of the man, for obvious reasons; choosing his adventures over his own family and leaving his son without a father to look to for guidance. The other three stiffened beside her, similar thoughts crossing through their minds, and a slow boiling anger for the man boiled just under the skin for the pain and the hurt he had caused their prince and friend.

The panther cat meowed softly, as though responding to him, turning to look up at him with wide cat eyes.

Presley sighed and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands, "I wish I was more important to dad then his supposed work."

Ja-kal was the first of them to step forward, having heard enough of the one-sided conversation their young friend was having with their cat, Kahti looked up at him as he approached them, and he waved a hand to maintain her silence. She purred and laid back down on her paws in response to his silent request of her.

Presley jumped under his hand when he curled his fingers over his shoulder, kneeling at his side, the boy looked alarmed at being caught by his guardian, "Ja-kal! I can ex-"

The falcon mummy held his hand up to silence the boy, gesturing to the area around him, "Do you mind if we join you?"

"We…?" he turned to look over his shoulder and his eyes widened when he came to see the others standing just behind them, "How long have you been there!"

Nefertina looked down at him sadly, "Long enough, my prince."

He looked alarmed for a few moment's longer, "So you heard that my mom is-"

"Out of town?" Rath nodded in affirmation "You should have said something on that matter, young prince."

"And that dad-"

"Abandoned his duty as a father?" Ja-kal nodded, gesturing for the others to join them, and they sat in similar fashion as their young prince did, "Yes. We heard that as well." The sacred cat hissed at having her spot stolen by the snake avatar, crawling up to lay in Presley's lap instead.

"The sight is pretty from here." Armon looked down to the reincarnated prince on the other side of Rath, "Do you come here often?"

"Sometimes." He felt Ja-kal stiffen next to him and refused to look up into his eyes to see the disapproval that was undoubtedly shining in them at his admittance. "Mom's a deep sleeper and I come here when I can't clear my head to sleep. Kahti's been coming with me now." The cat purred in his lap and licked his finger with her scratchy tongue.

"You should not have to come sit on your own, young prince." Rath touched a hand to his back, "You are always welcome to come to the Sphinx."

"But I don't come alone. Kahti comes with me."

"Be that as it may," the tutor continued, his hand still curled around the boy's lower back, "And as great a warrior she may be, she would hardly stand a chance on her own should Scarab come after you. We cannot protect you if we cannot find you."

Presley nodded at his words, smiling up at him, and it was returned in kind, before resting his chin on his hands again.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the water roll over itself and the cars zoom over the bridge in the distance like fireflies through the night sky, silence falling around them all like a thick blanket.

Nefertina leaned forward, to look at him from around Ja-kal, and feeling her gaze on him, the twelve year old prince turned to meet her eyes.

"How long is your mom going to be away?"

He seemed reluctant to answer the question, but the heat from the other's gazes were good enough incentive for him, "The next week."

"How long has she been away?"

Presley cringed slightly, "Since last weekend." And braced himself for the reactions that were sure to come.

Rath inhaled deeply. Armon stared at him in surprise. Nefertina's eyes had gone wide at the admission. The only one he had not gained a reaction from was the one sitting directly to his right, and he chanced a glance at the leader of his guardians, sharp eyes met his glance and he gulped silently, him and Kahti had agreed that he wouldn't be pleased with the nightly doings and his being home alone for so long.

Ja-kal pinched the bridge of his nose for a long moment, inhaling deeply, "She is due back next Friday, then?"

He nodded silently, his tone was the same one he used when they found out he had snuck out of the sphinx to go to the park on his own, he knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it.

"We have more than enough room for you at the sphinx."

"But all my stuff is at home."

The mummy turned to give him a particular look, "Then we shall come with you to gather your things so that you may stay at the sphinx with us."

Presley looked stricken, he was old enough to stay home alone, and he said as much to the falcon mummy.

"But Ja-kal—"

"Presley."

The mummy knew, of course, that he had no authority to order his prince to do anything, but since the reincarnated prince insisted on being treated like twelve-year-old Presley Carnavon, and not Rapses, he found that telling _that_ boy what he was going to do was well within his authority in that regard.

His young friend nodded silently, looking downwards as young boys do when they know they are not being given a choice. "Okay, Ja-kal."

**AN: Thanks again for all your love and positivity! You guys are beautiful, and I love you all! I hope you liked this chapter too!**


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